| Abstract/Description or Keywords |
The Horsefly River Roundtable (HRR) initiated a Watershed-based Fish Sustainability Plan (WFSP) for their watershed in 2007. This ongoing process designed by the Province of British Columbia and the Canadian governments endeavors to bring together the many voices concerned with the conservation of fish and fish habitat. The WFSP identifies watershed priorities to conserve and enhance fish and fish habitat and encourages stewardship from many sectors including First Nations, government, anglers, conservation groups, organizations and individuals. The WFSP is designed to compliment other planning documents in place for a watershed and is intended to be flexible in application although a guidebook has been prepared to guide proponents such as the HRR. The ongoing WFSP involved the creation of a Technical Committee whose role is to provide information and advice to the HRR. In autumn 2008 the Technical Committee decided to provide the HRR with this State of the Watershed report as a means to determine health of fish stocks in the watershed and the positive and negative influences on this valuable resource. The report offers information on population estimates and related trends for sockeye, coho, chinook salmon, kokanee and rainbow trout. It provides the reader with a forecast of salmon run sizes for 2009 for comparative purposes and information on the interaction of all species in the Horsefly River and Quesnel Lake. Additionally the report details the enhancement and monitoring initiatives that are or have occurred in the drainage, and provides the reader with background data on the value of fish stocks in the Horsefly River watershed. The report also discusses the possible negative anthropogenic influences on fish and fish habitat in the drainage as well as natural events that can be detrimental to the health of the local fish stocks. In closing, the report offers the reader the primary watershed concerns that may be affecting the resource and related recommendations that will conserve and enhance the fish and fish habitat of the Horsefly River watershed. |
